By Mark LaFlamme,Staff Writer

LEWISTON – A local man was critically injured Thursday after the minibike he was driving on Pine Street crashed into an SUV at about 5:30 p.m.

Police and witnesses said 44-year-old Philip Bachelder was riding the wrong way down Pine Street in pouring rain when he crashed into a Ford Expedition.

Bachelder suffered a broken leg and head injuries when the small dirt bike struck the rear end of the Expedition as it crossed on Howe Street. He was not wearing a helmet.

Police said Carrie Wood, 37, of Sabattus, was crossing Pine on Howe Street and had looked both ways before driving through the intersection. It was believed she did not see Bachelder approaching because the bike he was riding sits low to the ground.

Police said there were no lights on the unregistered motorcycle, which is designed mostly for off road use. At the time of the crash, a brief rainstorm was moving across the area, leaving roads wet.

Police who responded to the crash found Bachelder sprawled in the roadway, unresponsive with his left leg broken. Bachelder was taken to Central Maine Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition late Thursday night.

A man who was walking on Pine Street said he heard the crash after seeing Bachelder driving the wrong way down the street.

Police blocked off a section of Pine and Howe streets as they began their investigation. Police Officer Eric Syphers interviewed potential witnesses and secured the scene while Officer Michael Dumond followed the ambulance to the hospital.

Because the crash involved potentially deadly injuries, Lewiston police called for a trooper from Maine State Police to assist with accident reconstruction. A section of Pine Street between Howe and Shawmut streets remained closed until about 8:30 p.m.